Hiring F-1 & J-1 Students

Guidelines

Below are guidelines for hiring students in F-1 or J-1 visa status: 

• Employment for F-1 and J-1 students is restricted to a maximum of 20 hours per week on campus.
  • F-1/J-1 students are not eligible for Additional Compensation (Ad Comp), as that would put them over the 20 hours/week maximum. 
  • It is best practice to track the hours of those on assistantships to ensure they remain within their appointed hours (no more than 20 hours/week for a 50% appointment; no more than 10 hours/week for a 25% appointment).
• F-1 and J-1 students may work for employers on campus that are considered to be vendors, such as the LSU Bookstore (Barnes and Noble), LSU Dining (Chartwells), etc. In these cases, students will need to complete a Vendor Work Permit with International Student Services before beginning any employment.
• Students must meet eligibility requirements for their specific non-immigrant status regardless of their job appointment category. For questions about hiring and F-1 or J-1 student, contact LSU Payroll or HR to see if the student is eligible for the position and to make sure all necessary forms are completed.
• The most-common employment categories for F-1 and J-1 students are student worker or graduate assistant. It is our understanding from PS-28 that students should not be hired as transient or contingent.

New/Initial I-9 Documents

There are specific documents that a current F-1 or J-1 student must provide to prove their status and employment eligibility for their I-9 documentation. The student must provide the following:

• Valid, unexpired passport.
• Valid, unexpired I-20 or DS-2019.
• I-94 arrival record for most recent U.S. entry.

The student can print their most recent I-94 Entry record from the Customs and Border Patrol Website. Please see the USCIS Handbook or I-9 Central for further details about filling out the I-9 for an F-1 or J-1 student. 

Reverification of I-9 Documents

Currently and continuously employed F-1 or J-1 students may have an expiration date on their I-9. In these cases, the I-9 should be reverified by the expiration date.

• The expiration date will depend on the program end date of the student's I-20 or DS-2019 since the I-94 usually indicates "D/S" or "Duration of Status."
• The passport expiration date does not trigger reverification.
• Passport validity may affect other F-1/J-1 benefits, ability to travel internationally and proof of status. Students are recommended to have a valid passport at all times when in the United States.
• Please see I-9 Central for further details about I-9 reverification.

Hiring a Newly Arrived Student

New F-1 and J-1 students who have just arrived to LSU must complete additional steps before being eligible for on-campus employment. 

1. The student must report their arrival to International Student Services by:
   • Completing the New Student Information Form.
   • Scheduling a mandatory SEVIS check-in.
2. International Student Services (ISS) will work to activate their SEVIS Immigration record.
3. If the students have never worked in the U.S. before, they need to be in the United States for a minimum of 10 calendar days with an active SEVIS record before being able to apply for the Social Security Number (SSN).
   • The Social Security Administration requires an active SEVIS record and additional documentation that the student will need to bring to their office when applying for the SSN.

The beginning of the semester is always a busy time, so there may be delays in processing documents. The student's first paycheck could be delayed if they have not completed all requirements with ISS or if they need to apply for an SSN. 

• For any Workday HR questions, please contact LSU HRM.
• For questions about tax forms, please contact LSU Payroll.